1. Area of Validity

"International Tennis Tournament of the European Research Institutes" (ITEF)

In a year of an ATOMIADE, such a tournament will be carried out in combination with this ATOMIADE and is named the same. The tournaments are numbered consecutively.

2. Participation

For the participation at these golf tournaments see chapter A 9 of the Vademecum.

The number of the participating teams is dependent on the facilities available to the organiser. If there are fewer entries than facilities available to the organiser, he/she may invite additional teams to complete the tournament, i.e. to bring the tournament in a form easy to organise.

3. Competitions

The tournament is normally played outdoors. However, the organiser has to provide at least 50% indoor capacity of the outdoor capacity as a contingency plan.

The tennis tournament is a team competition and consists of the following matches:

1 Men's Singles

1 Women's Singles

1 Men's Doubles

1 Mixed Doubles

Within one team competition, each male and each female player can only take part in one match. At the following competition, the male and female participants may be exchanged, so each team consists of at least 4 men and 2 women.

In one of the double events (man or mixed double), one male player, may be replaced by a female player. In this case, a team consists of at least 3 men and 3 women.

The tournament balls are to be provided by the organiser.

The rules of the "International Tennis Federation" (ITF) are applicable.

Remark If a team is incomplete the organiser may arrange substitute players. In the event that this is not possible, the organiser may assign a player from the team to play twice (in two events), if this is compatible with the plan of the tournament.

4. Grouping and Seeding

The participating teams will be divided into groups. Teams of one nation should be assigned to different groups. If this is not possible these teams must play the first match in their group against each other. Teams from the same Research Institute may not be assigned in the same group.

For the seeding, the results of the Atomiades/ITEFs within the last 6 years will be taken into account:

The winner of these tournaments receives a score of 10, the second team a score of 9, the third a score of 8 etc. The tenth of a tournament receives 1 point. The places 11 and higher receive no points.

If a centre has more than one team in a tournament, each of them will be taken into account to get the ranking of the tournament, but only the best result from this centre will be taken into account for the ranking list.

If an invited centre (which is not member of the ASCERI) gets points on a tournament, it will have the points and place on the ranking list as if it was a member of the ASCERI.

The sum of all points of the last 6 years determines the order of the seeding, beginning with the highest number of points.

The Tennis Committee of the ASCERI is responsible for making the ranking list before the drawing of the next competition.

The organiser of the competition should invite one member of the Tennis Committee to be present at the drawing and during the competition.

5. Rules and plan of the tournament

The tournament should start with a group system (Round-Robin). This means that within each group every team will play against each other.

After the group competition, the tournament continues by another group system or by a "K.O" system.

The winners, and if possible the runners-up (2nd place) of each group play for the championship. The third, forth etc. of each group play for the further ranking.

Each match may be played with either two sets, or as one long set, ending at game 9. If the match ends in a tie (1:1 sets or 8:8 games), an additional tie-break will decide final placing. In the event of a delay (e.g. rain) a normal set may be played up to game 6 (with tie-break at 6:6).

The organiser may modify the plan of the tournament in accordance with the number of teams participating and with the agreement of the Tennis Committee. The Tennis Committee will assist the organiser by giving an arrangement system plan taking into account the number of teams participating and the number of courts available.

In case rain disrupts play, the organiser has to provide at least 50% indoor capacity of the outdoor space. The Tennis Committee will assist the organiser by giving an equivalence table to convert the indoor results to the outdoor results and vice-versa.

6. Placement

a) Group matches ("Round-Robin" system)

For each team-match won (4:0 or 3:1) the winning team gets two points. In the case of a tie (2:2) each team gains one point.

Group placement: The winner of the group is the team with the highest number of points. The other places in the group result from the points gained.

Two teams have the same number of points: a) the former match between the two teams will decide b) in case of a draw (2:2) the positive difference in games will decide c) if the difference in games is the same, the difference of all matches, and then all games played in the group, will decide d) if however, these differences are still equal, the result of mixed-double will decide

More than two teams have the same number of points: Only the results against those teams which have the same number of points will be taken into account. a) the new calculated points will decide b) if they are the same the match difference and then the game difference between them will decide c) if there is still no decision, the match and then all game differences played in the group will decide d) if there is still no clear decision, a coin (by lot) will decide

b) K.O.-System

The winner of the team-match (4:0 or 3:1) will go into the next round, playing for higher places; the looser will play for lower places. In the case of a draw (2:2) the difference in games will decide. If this difference is 0 the result of the mixed-doubles will decide.

7. Delays or no-show

If a team or singles player does not appear or appears more than 15 minutes late, the match is lost for that team/player and the resulting points attributed are the lowest possible..

8. Amendments

Additional points, which are not included in these tournament rules can only be introduced by a 2/3 majority of the participating teams. They are to be submitted in writing to the participating teams, the court of arbitration and the ASCERI Tennis Committee by the organiser prior to the first game.